Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne delivered a statement to the Phoenix Union High School District following a knife fight between two female students at Carl Hayden High School on Monday, calling the incident proof that the board made a "major mistake" in rejecting armed security officers.
Tom Horne emphasized his criticism, stating the violent altercation that left both students injured demonstrates "the utter lack of concern" by Phoenix Union board members who voted against state-funded armed officers earlier this year.
"The safety of students, teachers and staff members at schools is not negotiable and a knife fight on the Carl Hayden campus Monday shows the dangers are increasing," Horne declared. "This needs to stop immediately."
Rejected Request
The superintendent specifically targeted the Phoenix Union governing board's decision to reject requests from both Carl Hayden and Betty Fairfax high schools for armed officers that the Arizona Department of Education would have funded.
Horne characterized the board's choice as an "outrageous dereliction of responsibility," even though both schools' leadership and district administration had endorsed bringing armed officers to campus.
"Yesterday, Phoenix Police reported that two female Carl Hayden students were in a knife fight that resulted in injuries," Horne explained. "This proves the need for armed officers and demonstrates the utter lack of concern by the members of the Phoenix Union government board who rejected the request."
Pressure for Policy Change
The Department of Education is demanding immediate action, insisting "the board needs to reconsider this matter immediately" and "reverse a terrible decision they made earlier this year."
Horne's strong statements come as Arizona faces rising school safety concerns. Reports from 12News show over 40% of threats reported to law enforcement in 2024 occurred in September, with more than half specifically targeting schools.
The state currently provides safety grants to 818 schools, with recent legislative changes expanding funding options to include retired officers and physical security upgrades beyond traditional resource officers.
The Phoenix Union District has yet to respond to Horne's demands to reverse its security policy.
